Improvement in fifth-wheels



T. H. W000.

Fifth-Wheels.

Paiented Dec. 8,1874.

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I after more fully described. The invention UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. WOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO J. B. BREWS- TEE & GO.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157.563, dated Dicember 8, 1874; application filed October 31, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. W001), of New York, county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Gear for Wheeled Vehicles, of which the following is a specification Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved running-gear for vehicles. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same, and Fig. 3 a bottom view showing a modification of the invention, and Fig. 4. a vertical section thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The object of this invention is to produce a carriage-gear which, will allow the body to be depressed farther than it can be on carriages of theordinar construction. For this purpose I arrange the perch or reach lower than the fifth-wheel, where, heretofore, it was always higher than the same, and I connect such depressed perch or reach with the headblock, above the front axle, by means of an u weirdly-projecting arm or arms, as hereinalso consists in connecting this depressed perch or reach by bolts with the upper plate of the fifth-Wheel, said bolts passing alongside of or through the lower plate of said fifthwheel, Where, heretofore, the perch or reach was always connected by pendent bolts with the upper plate of the fifth-wheel.

In the accompanying drawing, the letter A representsthe front axle of a suitable wagon or carriage. B is the head-block, which is above said front axle, and connected therewith by means of the kingbolt O. D is the upper plate of the fifth-wheel, projecting backwardly from the head-block B, and E is the lower plate of the fifth-wheel, projecting backwardly from the axle A, in the customary manner. F is a suitable single or double perch. It is arranged on a level beneath the lower plate, E, of the fifth-wheel, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Its front end, however, is connected by an arm, G, which extends upwardly to the head-block B.

In this way I insure the required low position of the perch, and still connect the same with the head-block B. By bringing the perch lower than the fifth-wheel I allow the wagon-body to settle down, under pressure, without being liable to come in contact with the perch, which is the great object-ion, especiall y to light wagons now in use, and which objection I entirely overcome by my invention.

A suitable brace, H, may also be used to connect the perch F with the axle A, as indicated.

When, heretofore, the perch was above the level of the fifth-wheel it was customary to suspend the upper plate of the fifth-wheel from such perch, but now, when I arrange the perch beneath the fifth-wheel, provision must be made for properly supporting the upper plate D of the fifth-wheel without interfering with the free movement of the lower plate E. I have provided for this contingency in two ways, one way being fully illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, which show the upper plate, D, provided With projecting ears a a, through which bolts 1) I) extend down into the perch, a suitable cushion, d, being interposed in this case between the lower plate E and the perch-body F.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of this invention, in which I dispense with the projecting ears to, by passing the bolts B through a curved slot of the lower plate E 5 but in this case, also, I interpose a cushion, d, between the lower plate E and the perch F, as indicated in Fig. 4.

I claim as my invention- 1. The perch F, below the level of the fifthwheel, and connected by the arm G to the head-block B, all combined substantially as described.

2. The combination of the perch F, below the level of the fifth-wheel, with the bolts b that connect it to the upper plate D of the fifth-wheel, and with the cushion d, which is interposed between the lower plate E and the perch F, substantially as specified.

The above description of my invention signed by me this 29th day of October, 1874.

THOS. H. WOOD.

Witnesses:

A. V. BRIESEN, E. O. WEBB.

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